Discussion Topic

I dunno, I haven't climbed either route in 20 years, but that full page profile of EBGBs in the current issue sure looks like a picture of Loose Lady. ?!? Big screw up by the editor or is my memory going?

Glad my routes are so well thought of. The crux of EBGBs probably is the mantle, which has gotten harder over the years. But the psych crux is the slopey holded runout at the top. The whole middle of the route is actually quite a bit easier then when we put it up because all the holds have been scooped out by climbing on then the last 40 years.

I don't know which of the 4 FA's you are but it's a proud line. Today or in the late 70's. Somehow it maintains this aura of "Holy Shite I'm gonna die". Maybe 10+ slab isn't that hard by todays standards. You're route will still get you a beer at the end of the day though. I tip of my hat to you. And thanks for a "killer" line. lol

I epic'd on EBGB's back in the late 70's. After finally working up the courage to do that initial mantle start, I traversed left and made the step onto the main face, then began pulling on those edges and smears in earnest.

This was the first route I had ever used these new things known as "quick runners"....and I had them on a sling over my shoulder.

Halfway up the main face, nervously eyeing the next bolt as I drew closer to it, I suddenly heard my runners go clinking down the face....the knot in my sling had come untied, and I was a LONG way above the last bolt.

The only other biner I had was a locker holding my Sticht plate, and I could not let go to take it off my harness.

My partner begged me to "just jump". Not wanting any part of that, with full cottonmouth, I went to the top of the route.

location is everything. ebgbs is really cool partly because it's one of the most visible routes in the park. you can see it from the road and much of the campground. sort of a jtree-smallscale-grainmuffin version of the view of eigerwand from grindelwald.

ok, that's a stretch. but it's funny how exposure is a whole lot worse when you walk into it, rather than climbing upwards in graduated increments.

Such an iconic and storied line... one of those routes where everyone has a story attached to it. I remember being at a Sterling Rope clinic out there and a Japanese athlete of theirs took a huge scraper on it... laughed it off, finished the pitch blooded up and smiling.

Up there with Figures, Left Ski Track etc where you fight the name and history long before grappling the dime edges!

Although I had that close call on the route in 1979, it did not keep me away. In fact quite the contrary....I actually got a bit addicted to the line...so much so that it cost me another very hairraising incident on it.

Around the mid-80's, I wanted to take a friend on the route. We drove out to Josh from San Diego on a cool, blustery winter day and "warmed up" on Heart and Sole. There was a strong wind blowing across the race, from left to right, and though it was clear, we were quite cold.

However, by this time I had done EBGBs around a dozen times, and I really wanted to get Earl on the route, so on up I went. I turned the corner onto the main face, right into the teeth of that wind, which made a whistling noise at it raced through the holes on the bolts.

I climbed the route with my right leg flagged out hard, to check the barn door effect. That ascent brought back the sickening feeling that I had on that first ascent...but I did not take any falls.

In fact, I have never fallen on the route.....I've always been TOO damned scared to fall on that thing!!!